


To bear it all

by kurojiri



Series: Iron Man Bingo 2019 Fills [13]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, F/M, Gen, Howard Stark Mentioned - Freeform, Insecure Tony Stark, Iron Man Bingo 2019, Jarvis mentioned, King Tony Stark, Knight Rhodey, Maria Stark Mentioned, Mentioned Peter Parker, Minor Character Deaths, Peace, Pepper Potts mentioned - Freeform, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Royalty, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark-centric, War, tony is Trying His Best
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 05:12:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18243047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurojiri/pseuds/kurojiri
Summary: Sometimes, he wondered why he bothered to take the throne. Then, he remembered why.





	To bear it all

**Author's Note:**

> Square Fill: Royal IronDad AU

He took it all in, the gold throne, the chill that rang through his body and the bloody crown that laid over the ground. The sun had been setting, his mother, and queen had still been missing. He found his father first.

The man that had ruled over their lands after he'd waged and won his fiercest battles and bloodiest wars the kingdoms had ever witnessed. The tales soon had become wide tales that spread throughout lands and other kingdoms. It had been why their lands were vast, why they had become a powerhouse. And why, Tony’s own status hung in the balance since he had been born. Their kingdom had known great wealth and influence.

His brilliance since had been passed down to Tony Stark, a young prince that had been both cocky and perceptive of how the world he lived in worked.

When that day came and the warning bell vibrations had rung into his body, Tony had watched the scatter of parchments unrolled by a gust of wind. His father sword, stuck on his gut, with a puddle of dark red flowing out. Distantly, he knew that he walked over to kneel over him, to find no pulse. Shouts from his knights and servants fluttering the room as the sun slowly left the sky.

At one point his legs did move. He had found his horse and ran to scan the woods for his mother. And then the trail ended with another cold body.

At the young age of twenty-one, and a few weeks later after performing the funerals for his parents, he was named the new king. The weight of his father's crown didn't sit well on his head.

Nor his heart.

  
  
  
  


With his new duties and plague of his emotions Tony had few hours to himself. There had been too many holes within his counsel, fewer people that he could remotely feel sane and safe with. He knew that it was flawed, that he was a virus that could not fully sedate himself without jumping into impulses to bury himself into his chambers where he studied freely and created inventions that he knew could help his people.

He was a leader, a visionary; but he was a futurist that did not want to live in a continuous cycle and legacy that had been colored by blood. Tony had done his best to tread with humility and tradition, for his mother's sake. For his people too; but they all knew it.

Tony had always been a wild card.

Royal or not, he had been known as a reclusive prince, then a charmer since he had tasted a way to loosen his lips. His image had suffered some seasons, others his intelligence challenged it. But when he became King, it had only made the crown he wore all heavier than any chain-mail he wore. It had posed for him to find any solace in the lonely nights without the comfort of his mother or Jarvis, who had watched him grow up. He needed to find the courage to become what his mother hoped. To become a king worthy for his people. And, to not recycle what his father started. He would not help that type of legacy to fester in his lands forever.

The counsel had been somewhat helpful with some of his ideas, and in his own Tony weighed his crown. There would be days when he didn't want to be king, others when he wished that his mother at least survived. But when he woke up to another day, Tony knew that his mother had loved their kingdom.

And for that reason, he would cleanse his kingdom thoroughly.

For her, and for the innocent people that needed his guidance.

  
  
  


Years had passed since his coronation. Revolts clashed within his lands; seasons progressed as much as anyone could hope with moderate success with some of his radical implementations as he worked with the farmers. For Tony, the young king had found that it had been tough to trust his father's noblemen. Rhodey, his first knight had commanded respect with his battle tactics and strength in the field, but with the shift of power, it had brewed to small sections of betrayal.

It had made it difficult to maintain a truce with some of his father’s inner circle.

In the end, he fought.

He lost some good men in those battles. Had to find ways to rebuilt what had been destroyed in the process. Rhodey had been there by his side as he helped him work on plans to insure better living conditions for the lower towns as winter would soon come.

The rumors of the aftermath had spread. Few corrupt and foolish kings had tried to take his lands. But as he was a Stark, he never gave them any room for error. His armor had been painted red and gold. He had never been a fighter like Rhodey, but he had sparred enough and had heart to win in the battles he was put into. His heart ached, but his spirit had grown stronger when he knew he kept his people safe.

“Your mom would be proud of you.”

On their way back to the capital, the roads had been cleared up for easy travel. The other men had been marching or on horseback as they talked to themselves. In a few hours they see the signs of the entrance and those with injuries (thankfully not life-threatening) would see further treatment.

“Would she really?” Being so close to civilization had made his skin crawl and seek for his studying chambers. “All I've done is suppressed and clear out all my dad’s dirty closet of regrets and bad deals.”

Rhodey made his horse inch closer. “Exactly. I mean no disrespect for our late king, but you have been doing your best to help make this kingdom thrive.”

“That doesn’t really help with the blood still sinking to my bones Rhodey.”

“But it still stands. My King, you are doing what your mother always wanted for our kingdom. To prosper.”

  
  
  
  


He had agreed with an arrange marriage. After years of saying no, of wanting to fall in love before courting anyone, Tony had wanted something that was only his choice. It had been a selfish whim, and as King he knew that he couldn’t ever fully commit himself to be that self-serving; no kingdom could live that way.

When he met Pepper, a daughter from a nobleman from a kingdom that had been neighbors from his mother’s homeland, he had been hopeful. She was a spitfire, organized in the ways he was not and did not care about his status like how most people did. Rhodey had liked how she had not been impressed by Tony when he talked to her. Or when he began to woo her.

It had been love at first sight for him. And while, it took a few tries she had accepted his proposal. They were both friends, lovers and equals by their first year together. He knew that his kingdom had been happy for him, and they had gotten lucky by her compassion. The new era of a hopeful Tony Stark had meant for more creations and new developments for their kingdom's security and well-being.

And an heir by their second year.

  
  
  
  


When his father had made himself a king, it had been unheard-of. The amount of manpower and battle tactics that it took had shown the world of how cruel and ambitious mankind could be. He had been lucky that he found a partner that could love him, to find a vast section of land to obtain and maintain since after he conquered them. Howard had been smart too with giving incentives for nobleman to stay and to create sections for peasants to feel somewhat secure in their plots of shared lands.

He still had too many enemies. Had made one too many bad deals with some unsavory people.

Yet, he had also been Tony’s father.

He had given Tony a crown to wear, a kingdom to protect and eventually an opportunity to better himself. War had never been Tony's fondest memories, nor would he ever strive to feed on it. During his ruling, he hoped that type of history would not ever be accepted again.

With his son Peter still growing, Tony wanted to give him a childhood he never received from his own father. To have an easier time to evolve from his duties as a prince, and one day, be a proud but still kind King. For his son, and wife, Tony would do everything in his power to be give Peter a better legacy to be proud of.


End file.
